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Arapahoe County to apply to bill homemaker services to Medicaid amid staffing and wait‑list pressure
Summary
Community Resources staff asked and received board approval to apply to enroll the county homemaker program as a Medicaid provider under the Community First Choice option; staff said the Medicaid reimbursement is $6.49 per 15‑minute unit and the application process takes about six months.
Kathy Smith and Courtney Stryker of Community Resources asked the board's permission to submit an application so the county's homemaker program can bill Medicaid under the state's Community First Choice option.
Staff said the program has 58 people on the current wait list and operates with three part‑time homemaker staff; the program is currently funded primarily through the Community Services Block Grant and has had essentially level funding for years. "The reimbursement rate is $6.49 per unit, and a unit is 15 minutes," Courtney Stryker told the board; staff said a typical 90‑minute visit converts to multiple billing units and could generate revenue to cover wages and some administrative expenses.
Staff described a referral partnership with Developmental Pathways to support Medicaid plans and client referrals and said the state application and approval process takes about six to seven months. Commissioners asked whether the county would immediately expand services and staff said not until the county sees billing revenue and determines feasible expansion.
The board approved staff to submit the application by thumbs‑up vote and asked that staff return with an evaluation of revenue impacts after initial billing begins.
What happens next: Staff will submit the Medicaid provider application and return with an initial revenue projection and implementation timeline once approval and initial billing experience are known.
